Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-12-03

or THE oLpEx rnk-HAxnroS FISH AND JOHN
BIGEIow.
Special Correspondence of TIE EVENING STAR
NEW YORK, Dec ..
There Is no more interesting thoroughrare In
New York than Park Row. IL has more street.
railway tracks and large crowds, and Is more dam
gerous 70 cross than Broadway, but there are no
policemen there 70 help pedestrians across, as on
Broadway. The charm OF the street lies IN the
study OF the odd characters that frequent it. on
the steps OF one OF the great newspaper buildings
sits an old Irish apple woman Her head is wrap
ped up In wooden shawl She wears the same
warm costume winter and summer. Whether the
Thermometer be At zero or ninety In the shade she
Is always at her posi-, she has been for years A
portly old newsman stands In 'front.' OF the same
once with his papers laid out on the steps He 10
deputy sheriff, fact which inspires the news
boys who throng the place with great respect
Every afternoon tall man. with black hair care
Iuliy oiled, mustache waxed, and ancient plug hat
brushed, walks along the street He wears q long
thrust IN his 81 bSno ana ai s, nsna
slowly, Is II anxious 70 create the impression that
time for mis- stroll. When he has been on exhibi.
ton an hour he disappears, and II you follow him
coa he s% sn1p an n aST mn. n
Gran, he patiently goes TO stitching.
queer cry In an almost unearthly tone OF voice re-
peared at Intervals OF every half minute You
cannot make out what II Is, but you discover that
IL ID being made by rather young looking stoop-
shouldered, blind man, who Is selling papers. AZ
each shout he hits the sidewalk q hard rap with
his cane.
THE SEwsBors AND THE PEpprrRs.
As the afternoon draws on the crowd Increases.
newsboys dart up from the Easements OF the news.
paper offices and go rushing and yelling down the
street. vendors OF all sorts OF edioles take their
place along the curb, and even In the very street
seii, making the teams turn aside Tor them. one
cakes, In the midst or which has been thrust a
stick loaded with pretzels, sits down at the base
OF the statue OF Franklin. Italians who sell Ice
cream at penny dish In summer and roasted
chestnuts In winter, range themselves In line with
the pretzel vender, but keep at respectful dis
lance. once upon time one OF their number up-
set her basket OF cakes, whereupon she fell upon
his ice cream can and cast fits contents on the
pavement and routed him.
In front Of a newspaper once, opposite the post
once. an Old woman sells very greasy crulers TO
youths, who, strangely enough, seem 20 retain
spite Of sheir dangerous diet She IS repuSea TO be
rich, as the fruit OF years OF cruller-seIing and
economy.
A Turk. wearing a red fez, pushes along 70 a
favorable point on the street cart, on which is
gaudy, rudely-painted sign. beaiing Turkish and
an American nag, and this legend: "Tahi Helva,
or the oriental estimabe and delicious confec-
uonery, imported direct from Constantinople. IL
purifies the blood. The tourists who have visited
the orient wiz testify 70 this fact" The stun is
large round cake OF yellow-looking candy, a small
chunk OF which sells Tor nve cents IL resembles
in color, and is about as delicious as beeswax
a. man VIII long gray nair falling over his shoul-
newspaper orices. You would be willing 60 wager
that he Is poet or an artist, but he isn't He oc-
fer line, whose ponderous wagons transport the
mail TO the trains and steamers, and help make
Park Row dangerous crossing.
PRAYER AND PROFANITY.
Tvvn( I'M oaal,o
his arm, ambe along and one OF them Is so Iostled
BY the crowd that he thrusts the end OF his roll or
map into the back OF a man who Is carrying a
string OF rabbits on his shoulder, a gun in one
hano and leading dog with the other. He turns
TO curse the Chinaman and blocks the narrow side
walk. Not far away an old woman dressed in
gray energies from one Of the stores, stands a
moment on the STEP lifts her face and utters a
brer prayer OF thanksgiving, People stop TO stare
at her, but she does not heed them. She has been
10 ask donation for some charitable object and
has received II She Is Mrs Roberts, the wife OF
the frst president OF LIBRA Precious little pray
ing Is heard on Park Row, and soon you hear more
profanity. Some gamin who have ben pitching
pennies in the park, hold brief consultation and
then make concerted rush on the chestnut stand
OF one OF the Italians His goods go flying over the
pavement, and with voleys OF fierce oaths he runs
after the leader OF the gang OF course he doesn't
get him, and while he is away the boys istily
gather up the nuts and run away 70 meet the ring
leader and give him his share OF the booty.
Italian women, carrying great bundles OF sticks
and boards, stagger along under their burdens
ana one OF them VINO turns out into the street 10
make faster progress barely escapes being crushed
beneath one OF the big rolls OF paper that are being
unloaded In front OF a newspaper building
coiored man comes out Of one OF the restau-
rants on the street. He walks as II all his Joints
were loose. Now he takes Dundreary skip, then
a long stride; now he grinaces, and again he
grins He is a walter, and one or the oldest char
acterS which frequent Park Row. An Intoxicated
man. evidently stranger TO the city, Is carried
along by the current OF PEDESTRIANS He reels
against this one and that, and keeps repeating
over and over again: "Hay1n,-hic-lotso n, nm
sells him goods, discovers him, leads HIM across
the park to q hackstand and sends him TO his
hotel after having taken from him all his money
for safe-keeplng. Visi. Park Row at any hour OF
the day or night and you viii see something strik-
Ing. AMOS j. CUMMINGS.
IL